Off-Road Unloaded - Letters To The Editor - August 2010

Can Good Deeds Be Rewarded?
I am responding to your kind email about finding Dan (another reader) his fiberglass fenders. You had asked me if there was anything that you might be able to help me with since I helped him out. Well, I have a '95 Ford Ranger (Betty) that has a crack in either the head gasket or the block. All I know is that there is water in the oil, and obviously I can't drive it. I was wondering if you might know a kind soul who might donate an engine so I can continue driving my faithful vehicle. It was the first truck I ever bought all on my own. I have been religious about maintenance, but it does have 187,000 miles on it. I look at Betty everyday and try to think of a way to fix her. I can't afford a new four-cylinder motor but I just can't seem to let her go. I am emotionally attached to my truck and if anyone knows where I might find an engine that is cluttering up someone's garage, I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks for your reply and consideration-it was a surprise and a great feeling! I hope you have many more years with the magazine. I am a faithful reader, as is my husband. We used to take my truck off-road, and she never faltered. A limited slip differential is awesome in a light truck when you want to take the path not many travel.
Take care and thanks again.
Warm Regards,Michelle Holder

Everyone and anyone: If you know of someone who has one of these Ranger four-banger engines taking up space and you want it gone, please email me at jerrod.jones@sorc.com. Michelle took the time to try and help out a fellow reader who was having trouble finding a part for his truck. If you can help Michelle out, I'll hook you up with some genuine OFF-ROAD gear.

Objections
Jerrod, we here at OMF Performance would like to officially object to the "CENSORED" box on the bottom of Page 11 of the May 2010 issue of OFF-ROAD. We expect to see a retraction and the whole picture in the next issue.OMF Performance

Surprisingly, you're not the only ones to let us know that!

We Goofed!
Great magazine!!! The May 2010 issue has a misprint, though. On Page 45 in the "Picking High and Low Ranges" article, you guys state that the Dana 18, 20, and 300 transfer cases all drop on the driver side-but all three of these transfer cases drop on the passenger side. Love the mag. Take care.Mike
Via email

Our bad-we all missed that mistake, and you are correct. Thanks for catching us!

Sorry, Frontier Guys!
I must say I am heart-broken today as I open my new issue (June 2010) of your magazine. After waiting month after month to see the progression of Project Two-Face I see the project is over! Well I recently purchased a 2010 Nissan Frontier 2WD crew cab after plenty of Ford prerunners (Rangers, F-150 and, 4 door Explorer). But I am now needing a family ride. I drool over PRG's website, dreaming of the day I can afford to build my interpretation of Project Two-Face with a more sinister approach, all while keeping my truck a family daily driver. So my question is: Is there any future builds or features in the works for us newer Frontier owners?

But if not, I will still be waiting month to month to see what you guys have for us each issue. Keep up the awesome work with the magazine! Jon Williams
San Diego, California

Jon, I wish I could tell you that we still had our Equator, but Suzuki really wanted it back and found out where we'd been hiding it from them. Though I can't guarantee anything, hopefully we'll run across some more Frontier and Equator features soon. Unfortunately, I think that will be our last Frontier/Equator project vehicle of that generation. But you never know what will happen with the next model!

Here at the magazine, we always are excited to get prison mail. There is no more scrutinizing, more attentive reader than one who has an unlimited amount of free time on his/her hands. And we just want to say thanks again to all you inmates who make OFF-ROAD your choice to help pass the time. And because of that, we're doing are dangdest to make sure that every incarcerated author in this issue not only receives this August issue, but also September's as well!

Editor's note: OFF-ROAD magazine is the truck mag of choice for Nicolas Cage in Con Air while he's behind bars at the beginning of the movie!

Letters Of The Month
Same Wheel Effect?
Hello! I have a question to ask about jumping a truck. I race motocross and if we want to raise the nose we give the bike a little throttle, and if we want to drop the nose, we hit the brakes. Does this same thing also work with a truck?

I ask because I'm building a 1986 Nissan Hardbody-it's my first truck and my dad gave it to me after he crashed it. I put Hannemann fiberglass fenders on it and pulled the bedsides. Right now I'm using 32-inch stock Nissan Titan tires. I built a light bar for it, and my next mods are going to be a rollcage, and a Total Chaos balljoint kit.

But sadly I'm serving a four-year sentence in a California state prison, so the truck build is in limbo for now. I love your mag and especially the Wasabi Project because it's a lot like my project. As soon as I get back out, I'll start back on my Nissan.Nathan Downs
Mule Creek State prison

Nathan, it sounds like you have a cool Hardbody truck! I love seeing that era of Nissan built with a prerunner attitude. And you are in fact correct about giving throttle or brakes having similar effects on your truck as it does on your dirt bike, though your dirt bike will exhibit the effects much more than your truck will.

Hates To Leave Us
I, Edward Wing, am writing to cancel my subscription to OFF-ROAD magazine. It's nothing bad-it's just that I can't get any magazines where I'm at. The system is all messed up where I'm at! But you'll hear from me again in the near future for sure! Love the mag, and keep up the good work, guys!

Thanks for your timeEdward N. Wing
34025-013

Ed, say it ain't so! Man, we hate to hear that you're in for a while, but we'll be here when you get out. See you soon.

Mad Love
What's up? Y'all got an awesome magazine and I got mad love for your mag and Super Duty! Trust and believe, you gotta deal with me for life.

I'm currently incarcerated but am being released anytime within the next 10 months (which I can't wait for!). So I've got a couple things on my mind: The first is that you need to please do an article on the red Super Duty on page 41 of the March 2010 issue! I'm a diehard Super Duty fan, so naturally when I seen a picture of this one throwing up rooster tails and read about the turbo that got installed on it, I wanted to know more! How much lift does it have? What type? What size and brand tires? Any history on the truck? I wanna know more!

Mind you, I'm definitely not complaining. As I said, your guys' mag is awesome! But it's just an idea.... Also, it'd be great if you had a few babes added into the mix of the mag, too. Quit tryin' to keep 'em all for yourself and share a few (pics) with your audience! Oh, one more thing: I'm not a Dodge guy, but Joe Hillard's '93 Ram is very clean! If you know him, check into if he'd wanna sell it to me. My dad could go deliver the cash if I'm not out yet. Talk about a badass mud slinger!

Marcus, buddy! Sorry to hear that you're on long-term time-out, but I'm glad to hear that you'll be out soon. Hopefully you'll see this issue and know we got your letter when I send you a couple extra copies of the mag for being a "captive" reader (sorry, bad pun, I couldn't help myself!).

As far as that red Super Duty goes-that truck belongs to the owner of Diesel Tech, and we actually did shoot a feature on it in the March 2009 issue of the mag. It has a Fabtech Dirt Logic 4.0 coilover kit on it jacked up to about 8 inches of lift. Those are 38-inch tires he runs on his truck, and he switches back and forth between some Pro Comp Xtreme ATs and some Pit Bull radial tires.

Remember, we're giving away swag every month to the author of our favorite letter. Be sure to include your address, so we know where to send your goods. And because we lost our copyeditor, please know that we are not going to be copyediting your letter if you are going to be hating on us, so you better check it over well before sending it our way! Thanks!